HEADING  BOOK 


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UNIVERSITYpF 
NORTH  CAROLINA 

School  of    Library 
Science 


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3lil 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://archive.org/details/firstreadingbookOOshel 


PBEFACE. 

This  little  book  is  designed  to  accompany 
the  Phonic  Beading  Cards.  For  fuller  direc- 
tions as  to  method  of  teaching  these,  see  "  Ele- 
mental Instruction."  k 

Although  these  lessons  are  arranged  with 
reference  to  the  method  of  teaching  reading 
there  laid  down,  they  may  be  very  advan- 
tageously used  independently  of  them,  as  an 
introduction  to  any  ordinary  reading  book. 

By  the  plan  here  presented,  we  believe  chil- 
dren will  learn  to  read  with  far  more  ease  and 
rapidity  than  by  the  ordinary  methods.  The 
^  words  at  the  heads  of  the  lessons  are  first  to  be 
— ■  learned  as  such,  when  the  children  will  be 
i  able,  for  the  most  part,  to  prepare  their  les- 
Kson   without  the    aid   of   the    teacher.      The 


4:  PREFACE. 

class  should  first   read    the   lesson   from   the 
Cards,  and  then  from  the  books. 

The  matter  of  these  lessons  is  arranged  and 
revised  from  a  series  published  in  London,  by 
the  "Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian 
Knowledge." 


FIRST  READING  BOOK. 


THE  DOG  AND  THE  EAT. 

Is.     To.    Too.     Of.     Go.    He.    For. 

The     dog     ran      to     get 


a    rat, 

i* 


6  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

The  rat  bit  the  lip  of 
the     dog. 

Now  the  rat  has  run 
to    the    box. 

Now    he    is    in    the   box. 

Let  the  dog  go  in  for 
him. 

The  dog  is  too  big 
to     go    in. 

Let  the  cat  go  in  to 
get    him. 


FIRST   READING   BOOK. 


1 ■f.#o&e#, 


II. 


THE    DOG   XKD    THE    COW. 

O.    Do.     So.    By.    May.     Say.    You.    Has. 
Was, 

The    boy    has    a    rod. 
The    dog    is    by    him. 


8  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

0    boy    do    not    hit    the 
dog. 

The    dog    bit   the   leg   of 
the    red    cow. 

He    was    a    bad    dog    to 
do     so. 

You  may  say  so  to  him. 
But    do    not    hit    him. 


FIRST   READING    BOOK. 


W.  ROBERTS  :SCl 


III. 


THE   PUP. 


Ned    has    got    a    bun. 
Let    the    pup    beg    for   a 
bit    of    the    bun. 


10 


FIRST    READING   BOOK, 


Go    off    dog. 
Let    the    pup    sit   by  me. 
Now     the     pup     is     fed. 
He    may    lap    in    the    pan. 

Now  let  him  run  to  the 
dog. 


FIRST   READING    BOOK. 


13 


The    sun    is    hot    to-day. 
Yes.      It     is    now    mid- 
day. 


1-  FIRST    READING   BOOK. 

Let    us    sit    on    the   mat. 

Tom    may    sit    by    us. 

The  cat  can  sit  in  my 
lap. 

0  cat  do  not  run  off. 
I  can  not  let  you  run 
to    the    hen. 

The  hen  has  an  egg  in 
the  box.  I  saw  it  in  the 
box. 


FIRST   READING    BOOK. 


15 


VI. 

THE  TOM-TIT. 

Fy.     Are. 

A      tom-tit     is     on     the 
log. 

He    is    in    the     sun. 


16  FIRST   READING   BOOK. 

How   gay  and   fat   he   is. 
Do    not    go    off   tom-tit. 

0  now  the  cat  has  got 
him.  She  has  run  up  the 
tree. 

1  am  so  sad  for  the 
tom-tit. 

0  fy  cat.  You  are  a 
bad    cat    to    do    so. 


FIRST   READING    BOOK. 


17 


YII. 


.#+     THE  TOP  AKD  THE  BEE. 
As.     Why.     Eye. 

I    can    see    my    top.     A 
bee  is   on   it.     Can  my  top 

see    me  ? 


2* 


18  FIRST  'READING   BOOK. 

No  the  top  can  not  see 
you.  But  the  bee  can  see 
you. 

Why  can  not  my  top 
see  me  ?  For  it  can  hum 
as    a    bee    can    hum. 

The  top  has  no  eye. 
For  it  is  but  a  toy.  The 
bee  has  an  eye.  Can  you 
not    see    its    eye  ? 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  19 


Till. 
OLD  AKN"   LEE. 

Old  Ann  Lee  at  the  cot 
is  ill.  She  can  not  go  out 
nor  get  up. — Her  boy  Tom 
has   run   to   us   to    say  so. 


20  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

May    she    eat    my  bun? 

'No.  She  is  too  ill  to 
eat  a  bun. — But  she  may 
eat  sop.  And  she  may  sip 
a   cup    of  tea. 

We  can  go  to  see  her 
by    and    by. 


FIRST    READING    BOOK. 


21 


fiOBERrs.SC. 


Hark 

Fast.       Or. 

ISTor. 


IX. 

THE  FOX. 
Bark.     Form.     Sly. 


Fern. 
What. 


Yard. 
Barn.  New. 
When. 


Do  you  see  the  new  dog  ? 

It  is  not  a  dog.     It  is  a  fox. 

But  hark.     He  can  bark  as  a  dog. 


22  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

Yes.  But  he  has  not  the  form  of 
a  dog. 

May  I  go  to  him  and  pat  him  ? 

No.  He  will  hurt  you  if  you  do. 
He  is  so  sly.  He  bit  Tom  in  the 
hand  just  now. 

How  did  Tom  get  him  ? 

The  man  at  the  mill  got  him  in  a 
trap.     And  he  let  Tom  have  him. 

But  what  will  Tom  do  with  him  ? 
Will  he  stay  in  the  yard  ? 

Yes.  Tom  will  tie  him  up.  And 
he  will  lie  on  the  dry  fern  in  that 
tub. 

Will  he  run  off  if  he  is  set  free  ? 

Yes.  And  he  can  run  fast.  He 
will  get  off  to  the  dell  if  he  can. 
Or   he  may  go  to  the  barn. 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  23 

Then  he  may  get  the  old  hen  and 
eat  her  up.  For  she  sits  in  the 
barn. 

Will  the  fox  eat  hens  ? 

Yes.  He  will  eat  the  hen  and  the 
cock  too  if  he  can  get  him. — It  was 
he  that  got  the  cock  and  hen  of  the 
man  at  the  mill. — And  so  the « man 
set  a  trap  for  him. 

0  bad  fox.  I  am  glad  that  the 
man  got  you  in  the  trap.  I  will  not 
play  with  you  nor  go  to  you. 


/ 


24 


FIRST    READING    BOOK. 


BOBERTS.  Sc 


X. 

DICK  BELL  AND  THE  NEST. 

Far.     Try.     Son.     Ely.    Know.     Bird.    Last. 

Do  you  know  Dick  Bell  ? 
Is  lie  the  son  of  the  man  at  the 
mill? 


FIRST   READING    BOOK.  25 

Yes.     It  is  he. 

I  know  him.  I  saw  him  at  play 
with  Ned  when  I  was  last  at  the  mill. 
What  can  you  tell  me  of  him  ? 

He  is  a  bad  boy.  He  will  not  do 
as  he  is  bid.  I  saw  him  go  up  a  tree 
for  the  nest  of  a  bird.  The  tree  is 
the  big  elm  by  the  pond.  The 
nest  is  not  far  from  the  top  of  the 
tree.  It  is  the  nest  of  a  bl?ck-bird. 
You  can  see  it  in  the  tree.  "You  can 
just  now  see  the  old  bird  fly  out  from 
the  nest.  John  the  milkman  told 
him  not  to  go  up.  I  told  him  so  too. 
And  I  told  him  how  sad  a  bird  is 
when  her  nest  is  lost.  But  he  went. 
He  got  far  up  into  the  tree.  But  he 
did  not  get  what  he  went  for. 


26  FIRST   READING    BOOK. 

Did  he  try  to  get  the  nest  ? 

Yes.     He  did  try  to  get  it. 

But  tell  Hie  how  it  was  that  he 
did  not  get  it.  Did  he  not  go  so 
far  up  the  tree  ? 

Yes.  He  went  iip  the  tree  as  far 
as  the  nest,  and  he  held  out  his  hand 
to  get  it. — "When  he  held  out  his 
hand  to  get  the  nest  he  let  go  of  the 
tree.  And  so  he  fell  in  to  the  pond. 
I  was  on  the  bank  and  saw  him 
drop. 


FIRST    READING   BOOK. 


27 


WJl0S£/lT.iSr$Cr. 


XI. 

DICK  BELL  IN  THE  POND. 

Such.       One.        Low.       Drew.       Path. 

Much.      Into.       Hard.      Girl.  Farm. 

Warm.      Dirt.      Wish 


How  did  Dick  Bell  get  out  of  the 
pond  ?     Can  he  swim  ? 


28  FIRST   READING    BOOK. 

No.  Dick  can  not  swim.  But 
the  pond  was  low.  So  that  he  had 
not  to  swim.  He  got  to  the  bank. 
But  then  he  fell  back  and  sank. in 
the  mud.  I  will  tell  you  how  he 
got  out  at  last.  A  man  was  in  the 
farm  yard  not  far  off.  And  I  ran 
and  told  the  man  to  help  me. — He 
was  a  kind  man  and  went  to  get  a 
long  rod  out  of  the  barn.  We  then 
held  out  the  rod  to  Dick.  He  held 
on  to  the  rod  and  so  we  drew  him 
up  the  bank.  He  had  one  bad  slip. 
But  the  man  held  him  by  the  hand. 
And  at  last  w^e  got  him  up  on  the 
path. 

Was  he  much  hurt  ? 

No.      But    he    was    wet.      And 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  29 

he    was   in   a   sad  mess    with    the 
mud. 

How  did  he  get  dry  ? 
.  He  went  into  a  cot  that  was  hard 
by.  And  we  got  a  kind  girl  to  dry 
him  and  warm  him  and  rub  off  the 
dirt.  But  he  is  now  ill  from  the 
wet.  And  I  do  not  know  when  he 
will  get  well. 

You  must  not  play  with  Dick 
Bell.  He  was  a  bad  boy  not  to  do 
as  he  was  bid.  And  he  wras  a  bad 
boy  to  try  to  get  the  nest  of  the 
black-bird.  I  am  glad  that  he  did 
not  get  it.  And  I  hope  that  he  may 
not  try  to  do  such  a  bad  act  when 
he  gets  well.  If  so,  I  shall  not  be 
sad  that  he  fell  in  to  the  pond. 


30 


FIRST    READING    BOOK. 


THE  AXE. 

Your.      Sharp.      Chop.      Thing. 
Stir.      Foot. 


Stool. 


I  have  a  bad  toe.     Can  you  tie  a 
bit  of  rag  on  it  ? 

Yes.     I  have  a  bit  of  rag.     Let 


FIRST   READING    BOOK.  31 

me  see  your  toe.  Did  you  cut 
it? 

No.     But  Dick  Bell  cut  it. 

How  did  Dick  Bell  cut  your  toe  ? 
Was  he  at  play  with  you  ? 

Yes.  He  was  at  play  with  me. 
And  he  cut  my  toe  with  an  axe. 

Did  I  not  tell  you  not  to  play  with 
Dick  Bell  ?  You  know  that  he  is  a 
bad  boy. — You  saw  him  try  to  take 
the  nest  of  the  black-bird,  when  he 
fell  into  the  pond. — But  tell  me  what 
Dick  was  at  with  the  axe.  And 
how  did  he  get  it  ? 

He  was  at  play  with  me  in  the 
copse.  A  man  had  left  his  axe  on  a 
log. — Dick  got  the  axe  to  try  to 
chop  the  log  with  it.     But  he  let  it 


32  FIRST   READING   BOOK. 

slip  out  of  his  hand  on  to  my  big 
toe. 

Did  you  not  tell  him  that  it  is  bad 
to  play  with  an  axe  ? 

Yes.  I  told  him  so.  And  I  told 
him  not  to  get  the  axe,  lest  he  hurt 
my  hands  or  his  own. 

Well.  Now  you  see  what  a  bad 
thing  it  is  to  play  with  an  axe. 
Dick  did  not  cut  your  hands  nor  his 
own.  But  he  has  cut  your  toe. 
And  that  was  as  bad.  It  is  well  he 
did  not  cut  your  toe  off 

Is  it  a  bad  cut  ? 

No.  It  is  not  a  bad  cut.  I  will 
tie  this  rag  on  it.  The  dirt  must  be 
kept  from  it.  And  you  must  lay 
your  toe  up.     You  must  not  run  nor 


FIRST   READING   BOOK.  33 

stir.  You  must  sit  still  and  set  the 
foot  up  on  a  stool.  It  will  then  be 
well  in  a  day  or  so. 


XIII. 
HOW  TO   GET  WAKM. 

Air. 

Do  not  sit  by  the  fire. 

But  I  am  so  cold.  I  do  not  know 
what  else  to  do. 

I  will  tell  you  then  what  else  you 
can  do. — Go  out  in  to  the  air,  and 
run,  and  jump,  and  skip,  and  hop. 
Or  you  may  play  with  the  dog. 
And  then  you  will  get  warm. 

But  I  can  not  go  from  the  fire. 


34 


FIRST    READING    BOOK. 


It  is  so  warm  by  the  fire,  and  so 
cold  out  in  the  yard. 

But  you  know  that  you  must  go 
out  by  and  by.  And  then  you  will 
be  cold. — You  can  not  help  that. 
But  run  and  jump,  and  get  warm 
now.      And  you   will   not   be    cold 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  35 

then. — You  will  be  ill  if  you  stay 
too  much  by  the  fire. 

Well,  then,  I  will  go  out  and  skip 
and  play  with  Tray. — Now,  Tray, 
let  us  go  to  the  yard.  Jump  up  on 
this  bench. — You  can  jump  as  well 
as  I  can.  Now  jump  down. — Try 
to  run  as  fast  as  I  can.  Do  not 
bark. — But  let  us  see  if  we  can  get 
the  bird  that  sits  on  that  tub.  No. 
He  is  off. — And  I  can  tell  you  that 
he  is  glad  to  get  off.  See  how  far 
he  is  now  up  in  the  air. — You  can 
not  run  as  fast  as  the  bird  can  fly. 
And  I  find  that  I  can  not  run  as  fast 
as  you  can. — Now,  Tray,  you  and  I 
are  warm.     We  will  go  in. 

Well,  are  you  warm  yet  ? 


36  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

0,  yes.  I  am  so  warm.  I  am 
glad  that  I  did  not  stay  by  the  fire. 
I  shall  not  now  go  to  the  fire  when  I 
am  cold.  But  I  shall  go  out,  and 
run  and  play  in  the  air. 


XIY. 

THE  HAY  EICK. 

Put     "Were.     They.     First.     House.     Fork. 
Does.       Grass.      Girls. 

What  is  hay  ? 

Hay  is  dry  grass.  Did  you  not 
see  men  and  boys  and  girls  toss  the 
hay  up,  and  turn  it  when  the  days 
were  long  and  warm  ? 

0;  yes.     I  saw  them  toss  the  hay 


FIRST   READING   BOOK. 


37 


#0&£*7-&  j», 


up  with  long  forks.      But  how  do 
they  first  get  the  hay  ? 

It  is  first  grass.  When  the  grass 
is  grown  up,  they  cut  it. — Then  they 
let  it  lie  in  the  sun.  And  so  it  lies 
till  what  is  at  the  top  is  dry. — Then 
they  toss  it  and  turn  it  with  a  fork 


38  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

as  you  saw. — And  when  it  is  dry 
they  put  it  in  to  a  rick.  So  that 
cows  may  eat  it  when  the  days  are 
cold  as  they  are  now,  and  the  grass 
will  not  grow. 

The  rick  is  in  the  form  of  a  house. 
And  straw  is  on  the  top. — Tell  me 
why  they  put  the  hay  in  to  the 
form  of  a  house  ? 

The  wet  runs  off  the  top  of  the  rick 
just  as  it  runs  off  the  top  of  a  house. 

But  will  the  wet  hurt  the  hay  ? 

Yes.  The  hay  rots  if  it  gets  wet. 
And  if  at  first  it  does  not  lie  in  the 
field  till  it  is  dry,  it  gets  first  warm, 
then  hot,  and  at  last  it  burns. — I 
saw  a  hay  rick  burnt  in  this  way  at 
the  farm  on  the  hill. 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  39 

I  can  use  a  fork.  I  shall  be  glad 
when  the  days  are  warm  and  long, 
that  I  may  go  out  and  toss  and  turn 
the  hay. 


XV. 

THE    FKOG. 
Where.    There.     Fish.    Watch. 

Where  did  you  go  just  now  ?  I 
saw  you  go  out. 

I  went  to  the  pond  to  see  the  fish 
swim. 

"What  have  you  got  in  your  hand  ? 

Tt  is  a  frog.  I  got  him  in  the  long 
grass  by  the  pond.  Do  you  see  him 
try  to  get  out  of  my  hand  ? 


40 


FIRST    READING    BOOK. 


Yes.  I  see  him  try.  But  let  him 
go.     You  hurt  him. 

No.  I  do  not  hurt  him.  I  do 
but  hold  him  fast. 

But  you  do  hurt  him.  That  is 
why  you  see  him  try  so  hard  to  get 
free. — It  is  to   him   as   if  a   great 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  41 

man  were  to  hold  you  fast  in  his 
hand. 

Is  it  so  ?  I  did  not  think  of  that. 
I  will  let  him  go  then. 

There  now.  See  how  fast  he  hops 
off.  He  can  not  thank  you.  But 
you  can  see  how  glad  he  is. 

0  yes.  And  I  am  glad  to  see  that 
he  is  glad.  But  I  did  not  think  that 
I  hurt  him. 

1  know  that  you  did  not  think  so. 
Tou  did  not  think  at  all. — You 
know  that  frogs  and  birds  and  dogs 
and  cats  can  not  tell  you  when  you 
hurt  them. — So  you  must  think  of 
what  you  do  to  them.  And  you 
must  watch  them.  Tou  may  then 
see  when  you  hurt  them. 

4* 


42 


FIRST   READING   BOOK. 


XVI. 

THE  FKOG  IK  THE  POND. 
Swan.    Does.    Arms.    Thin. 

I  saw  the  frog  hop  in  to  the  pond. 
Let  us  go  and  see  him  swim. 

There  he  is  by  the  tree.  You 
may  stir  the  pond  with  your  stick 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  43 

if  you  will.  You  will  then  see  how 
fast  he  will  be  off. 

0,  how  well  he  can  swim.  But  he 
does  not  swim  as  a  fish  swims. 

No.  He  has  not  fins  as  a  fish  has. 
He  swims  with  his  legs.  Just  as  a 
man  swims  with  his  legs  and  arms. 

Can  you  swim  as  he  can  ? 

I  can  swim  in  the  way  that  he 
swims.  But  I  can  not  swim  so  fast 
nor  so  long. — It  is  not  God's  will  for 
men  to  swim  as  well  as  frogs  do. 
Men  stay  on  land  and  go  into  the 
sea  but  now  and  then. — But  watch 
this  frog,  and  you  will  see  that  he 
stays  as  long  in  the  pond  or  in  the 
ditch  as  he  stays  on  the  land.1 — I 
will  tell  you  how  it  is  that  I  can  not 


44  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

swim  so  well  as  "he  can. — I  have  not 
a  web  to  my  toes  and  hands  such  as 
he  has. — You  can  see  that  he  has  a 
web  or  thin  skin  from  toe  to  toe. 
It  is  like  the  web  on  the  toes  of  a 
duck.  The  birds  that  swim  have 
webs  of  this  kind. 

Then  the  swan  has  webs  to  his 
toes? 

Yes.  You  may  see  that  he  has 
when  you  next  go  to  the  pond. 


- 


FIRST    READING    BOOK. 


45 


XVII. 
TKAY  AND  FAK 

Could.     Come.     Would.     Care.     Things. 

We  have  two  dogs. 
What  are  their  names  ? 
Tray  and  Fan.     Tray  is  a  big  dog, 
and  Fan  is  a  little  one. 


46  tflRST   READING    BOOK. 

Which  do  you  like  best  ? 

Oh!  I  like  Fan  best.  I  do  not 
like  Tray. 

Why  do  you  not  like  Tray  ? 

He  is  so  big.  And  he  jumps  up 
on  me  when  I  go  near  him. 

But  do  you  know  of  what  use  he 
is?  He  is  of  much  more  use  than 
Fan. 

Of  what  use  is  he  then  ? 

I  will  tell  you.  If  bad  men  should 
come  to  steal  what  is  in  the  house 
he  would  bite  them. — And  if  we 
were  in  bed  he  would  bark  and 
wake  us.  And  then  we  could  take 
care  of  our  things.  ^ 


FIRST    READING    BOOK. 


47 


XVIII. 

OLD  A1STN"  LEE. 

Thank.     Good.     Bye.     "Work. 

Old  Ann  Lee  is  well  now.  I  saw 
her  to-day.  She  is  blind.  But  she 
can  sit,  and  knit,  and  spin. 

Shall  we  go  and  see  her  ? 


48  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

Yes.     We  will  go  by  the  field. 

There  she  is.  She  sits  by  the  door 
of  her  cot,  and  spins. 

How  do  you  do,  Ann  Lee  ? 

I  am  well,  my  dear,  thank  God ! 
I  am  now  blind.  But  I  can  spin, 
and  knit,  and  go  to  church. 

How  do  you  find  your  way  to 
church  ? 

My  son  Tom  leads  me  there. 

Good  bye,  Ann  Lee.  We  will 
take  care  to  come  and  see  you  now 
and  then.  And  send  to  us  if  we 
can  help  you. 

Thank  you.     Good  bye,  my  dears. 

Now  then  we  will  go  home.  Do 
you  know  Tom  Lee  ? 


FIRST   READING    BOOK.  49 

Yes.  I  see  him  when  he  leads  old 
Ann  to  church. 

He  is  a  good  son.  He  is  so  kind 
to  her. 

How  old  is  he  ? 

He  is  but  ten  years  old. 

Does  he  work  at  the  mill  ? 

Yes.  He  works  hard  at  the  mill. 
And  he.  takes  home  all  he  gets  for 
his  work  to  old  Ann. 

He  is  a  good  boy.  And  if  he 
keeps  on  so  he  will  be  a  good 
man. 

Does  Tom  Lee  like  play  ? 

0,  yes.  He  likes  play  as  well  as 
Dick  Bell  does. 

But  I  do  not  see  him  at  play. 

No.     He  has  no   time  for  play. 


50  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

•  •  •  • 

He  works  hard  all  day.  And  when 
he  goes  home  he  reads  to  old 
Ann. 


XIX. 
THE  EAT. 


Whose.      Look.       Shell.      Squirrel.     Full. 
Two.         "Wood.      Teeth.     Marmot.     Gnaws. 
Gnaw.      Mouth. 

0,  here  is  a  rat  in  the  trap. 

What  an  old  one  he  is ! 

How  can  you  see  that  he  is  an  old 
one  ? 

He  has  such  long  teeth. 

But  why  has  an  old  rat  long  teeth  ? 
An  old  man's  teeth  are  not  long. 
And  our  old  dog  Tray  has  not  long 


FIRST   READING    BOOK. 


51 


/?  03£T&  Tiff.  So. 


teeth.     The  pup's  teeth  are  as  long 
as  Tray's  teeth. 

I  will  tell  you  why.  A  rat's  teeth 
grow  as  long  as  he  lives. — But  when 
you  are  a  man,  your  teeth  will  grow 
no  more. — And  a  clog's  teeth  grow 
no  more  when  he  is  of  his  full  size. 


52  FIRST   READING   BOOK. 

Can  you  tell  me  why  a  rat's  teeth 
grow  as  long  as  he  lives  ? 

Yes.  The  rat  does  not  bite  what 
he  eats  as  you  do.  And  he  does  not 
tear  it  as  you  see  Tray  tear  meat 
from  a  bone. — He  gnaws  it  into  little 
bits  like  saw-dust  with  the  two  long 
teeth  which  you  see  in  the  front  of 
his  mouth. — And  if  the  teeth  were 
not  to  grow  he  would  soon  wear 
them  out.  For  he  gnaws  hard 
things  that  lie  in  his  way  as  well  as 
what  he  eats. 

Can  he  gnaw  wood  ? 

Yes.  If  you  were  to  stop  up  his 
hole  with  wood  to  try  to  keep  him 
in,  he  would  gnaw  a  hole  in  the 
wood. — I  once  saw  a  large  piece  of 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  53 

lead  put  on  the  hole  of  a  rat.  But 
the  rat  made  ,a  hole  in  the  lead  and 
got  out.    v 

But  why  does  not  this  old  rat 
gnaw  his  way  out  of  the  trap  with 
his  long  teeth  ? 

There  is  tin  in  the  trap  on  the 
sides.  And  he  can  not  gnaw  tin, 
for  it  is  too  hard. 

0,  now  I  see  that  my  squir-rel  has 
two  teeth  in  the  front  of  his  mouth 
like  the  rat's  teeth.  Will  they  grow 
as  long  as  he  lives  ? 

Yes.  Look  at  your  squir-rel  when 
he  eats  a  nut,  and  gnaws  a  hole  in 
the  shell. — You  will  then  see  how  he 
would  wear  down  his  teeth  if  they 
were  not  to  grow. 

5* 


54  FIRST   READING    BOOK. 

What  beasts  are  there  which  gnaw 
what  they  eat  like  the  rat  and  the 
squir-rel,  and  whose  teeth  grow  as 
long  as  they  live  ? 

Yon  know  one  that  has  the  same 
kind  of  teeth.  Can  you  not  tell  me 
his  name  ? 

Is  it  the  cat  ? 

No.  There  is  the  cat.  Look  at 
her  mouth.  You  will  then  see  that 
she  has  not  teeth  like  the  rat  to 
gnaw  with.  '  Her  teeth  are  more 
like  the  dog's. 

0,  do  you  mean  the  rab-bit  ? 

Yes.  If  you  go  to  him  and  give 
him  this  leaf,  and  look  at  him  while 
he  eats  it,  you  will  see  his  teeth. 
And  you  will  see  how  he  makes  use 


FIRST   READING    BOOK.  55 

of  his  teeth. — Then  there  is  the  hare 
which  eats  in  the  same  way.  And 
there  is  the  mar-mot,  a  strange  little 
thing  that  lives  in  a  land  a  gr*eat 
way  off. 


XX. 

HANDS  AND  PAWS. 

Color.     Their.       Mouse.     Dormouse.    Large. 
Eyes.      Young.    Thumb.    Monkey.        Paws. 

What  have  you  got  in  that  little 
box? 

Look  at  it.  What  do  you  suppose 
it  is? 

It  seems  like  a  young  squirrel. 

But  it  is  not  a  squirrel,  if  it  does 
look  like  one.     Is  it  not  like  some- 


56  FIRST   READING    BOOK. 


jpaa&rrs-  j? 


thing  not  so  big  as  a  squirrel,  that 
you  have  seen  ? 

0,  I  know  what  you  mean.  It  is 
like  a  mouse. 

Yes.  This  is  a  mouse.  Its  name 
is  the  Dor-mouse. 

Its   color  is  brown.      He   has   a 


FIRST    READING   BOOK.  57 

large  tail,  too.  And  his  fine  black 
eyes  are  just  like  my  squirrel's. 

Yes.  And  you  will  see  by  and  by 
that  he  eats  like  a  squirrel. 

0;  now  he  sits  up  on  his  hind  legs. 
And  he  holds  a  nut  in  his  two  hands. 
And  he  gnaws  it  just  as  the  squirrel 
does. 

You  must  not  say  his  hands,  but 
his  fore  feet. 

But  he  can  hold  a  nut  as  I  hold 
an  apple  in  my  hands. 

Yes.  But  he  can  not  hold  a  nut 
in  one  paw.  And  you  can  hold  an 
apple  in  one  hand. 

0,  I  see  that  he  takes  hold  with 
both  paws  But  why  can  he  not 
hold  a  nut  in  one  paw  ? 


58  FIRST   READING    BOOK. 

He  has  not  a  thumb  as  you  have. 
And  so  he  can  not  pinch  a  thing  as 
you  can. — He  has  four  toes  in  a  row 
on  each  of  his  fore  feet.  And  he 
has  five  toes  on  his  hind  feet,  like 
the  toes  on  your  foot. — Look  at  your 
foot  and  your  hand.  You  will  then 
see  that  your  great  toe  is  not  put 
on  your  foot  as  your  thumb  is  put 
on  your  hand. 

Have  no  beasts  thumbs  as  I 
have? 

Yes.  Apes  and  monkeys  have 
thumbs.  And  they  can  pinch  a  thing 
with  one  hand  as  you  can.  But  a 
monkey  has  four  hands  and  no  true 
feet. 

0  yes.     I  have   seen   a   monkey 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  59 

take  hold  of  the  branch  of  a  tree  by 
his  hind  foot. 

There  are  monkeys  that  can  take 
hold  of  the  branch  of  a  tree  by  their 
tails  as  well  as  by  their  hands  or 
feet. 

Where  did  you  get  this  Dor- 
mouse ? 

John  Bell  got  it  in  a  hole  in  a 
tree.  It  was  a-sleep  when  he  got 
it. 


60 


FIRST   READING    BOOK. 


XXI. 


POBERJs.St. 

THE  DOKMOUSE. 


Been.      Found.      Some.      All.      Comes. 
Ground.      Done. 

Had  your  dor-mouse  been  a-sleep  for  some 
weeks  when  John  Bell  found  him?  And 
did  he  not  eat  at  all  for  that  time  ? 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  61 

I  can  not  say  that  it  did  not  eat  for  all 
that  time.  But  it  did  not  eat  much.  Would 
you  like  to  have  me  tell  you  how  the  dor- 
mouse lives  ? 

0,  yes  ;  do.  I  like  him,  and  would  like 
to  know  all  you  can  tell  me  of  him. 

I  will  tell  you  then  how  he  lives  in  sum- 
mer and  in  win-ter.  You  know  that  the 
days  are  hot  in  sum-mer.  Then  he  sleeps  a 
little  while  in  the  day  and  wtfkes  at  dusk. 
He  eats  and  plays  as  he  likes  all  night.  He 
runs  up  and  down  the  trees  and  jumps  from 
branch  to  branch. — But  when  win-ter  comes 
near,  the  days  are  cold.  And  then  he  finds 
out  a  snug  hole  in  a  tree  or  in  the  ground. 
He  makes  a  nest  in  the  hole.  The  nest  is 
made  of  leaves  and  grass. — He  next  gets  such 
nuts  and  seeds  as  he  can.  And  these  he 
stores  up  in  his  .hole.  When  he  has  done 
this,  he  curls  up  in  his  nest  and  goes  to 
sleep. 


62  FIRST    READING   BOOK. 

How  long  does  he  sleep  ? 

As  long  as  the  days  are  cold.  When  a 
mild  day  comes,  he  wakes  up  and  eats  a  nut 
or  two  from  his  store.  When  the  cold  comes 
back,  he  goes  to  sleep  as  he  did  at  first. 
And  so  he  goes  on  till  spring  comes  and  the 
days  are  warm.  Then  he  comes  out  of  Ins 
hole  and  lives  like  the  rest  of  the  things  that 
live  in  the  woods. 

How  I  wish  I  had  a  dor-mouse. 

I  will  give  you  this  one  if  you  will  take 
care  of  him. 

O,  thank  you.  I  will  take  great  care  of 
him.  I  will  give  him  a  nice  large  cage. 
And  I  will  feed  him  with  the  best  nuts  I  can 
get.  fe 

You  may  take  him  in  your  hand  if  you  like. 

But  will  he  not  bite  me  as  my  squir-rel 
did? 

No.  He  will  not  bite  you  if  you  do  not 
hurt  him. 


FIRST    READING   BOOK.  63 

O,  how  soft  he  is.     I  like  him  so  much. 
He  is  my  pet. 


XXII. 
THE   YAK. 

North.    Small.     Short.    Foot. 

Snow  lies  on  the  ground  all  the  year 
on  the  tops  of  high  hills. 

Does  snow  lie  on  the  ground  in  spots 
where  there  are  no  high  hills  ? 

Yes.    Par  to  the  North. 

Do  men  live  where  there  is  snow  all  the 
year? 

Yes.  Men  live  there,  and  boys  and  girls 
too. 

What  do  they  eat  ?     Can  they  get  bread  ? 

No.  They  cannot  get  bread  like  that 
which  we  eat,  for  they  have  no  wheat.  They 
eat  fish  and  meat. 


64 


FIRST    READING    BOOK. 


But  how  can  they  get  meat  ?  Are  there 
beasts  that  live  where  there  is  no  grass  on 
account  of  the  snow  ? 

Yes,  There  are  beasts  that  live  on  fish. 
And  there  is  the  Deer  that  lives  on  moss, 
which  grows  when  the  snow  is  on  the  ground. 
And  there  is  the  Yak,  a  small  kind  of  ox,  j 
with  short  legs,  which  lives  on  the  tops  of 
high  hills. 

How  does  he  get  his  food  ? 


/ 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  65 

i 

He  digs  a  trench  in  the  snow  with  his 
nose,  and  goes  up  the  hill  as  he  digs.  He 
finds  some  moss  on  the  ground,  which  he 
eats  like  the  deer. — But  by  and  by  he  gets 
to  a  place  where  the  snow  is  so  deep  that  he 
cannot  work  on. 

And  what  does  he  do  then  ? 

He  folds  up  his  short  legs  and  rolls  down 
the  hill  till  he  comes  to  the  edge  of  the  snow. 

But  what  does  he  do  next  ? 

Then  he  digs  a  trench  like  the  first,  and 
so  he  keeps  on  till  he  has  had  as  much  moss 
as  he  likes. 

I  would  like  to  see  a  yak.  What  an  odd 
beast  he  must  be  ! 

6* 


66  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

XXIII. 

THE  BEES. 
Honey.    Learn.    Those.     Should.    "Wasps. 

Come  with  me  and  look  at  the  bees.' 
But  do  not  go  too  near  the  hive.     If  you  do 
they  will  sting  you. 

Why  should  I  look  at  the  bees  ?  I  do 
not  like  to  look  at  them  so  well  as  at  wasps. 
They  are  not  so  bright  and  gay  as  wasps  are. 

No,  they  are  not  so  bright  and  gay.  But 
they  do  much  more  good.  And  you  may 
iearn  more  from  them  if  you  look  at  them, 
than  you  can  from  wasps. 

O,  I  know  what  good  they  do.  They 
make  honey  and  wax.  But  what  can  I  learn 
if  I  look  at  them  ? 

Come  with  me  and  I  will  tell  you.  Do 
you  not  see  how  hard  they  work  ? 


FIRST    READING    BOOK.  67 

I  see  them  move  here  and  there.  But  I 
can  not  see  what  they  do. 

But  if  you  look  with  care  you  may  see 
what  they  do.  Those  that  you  see  fly  in  to 
the  hive  bring  loads  of  honey  that  they  have 
got  from  flowers. — Some  of  the  honey  they 
make  into  wax,  to  make  their  combs  with, 
and  the  rest  they  stow  up  in  the  cells  of  the 
comb. 

O,  now  I  see  some  stuff  on  their  legs. 
What  is  it  ? 

That  is  pollen,  or  dust,  out  of  the  flowers. 
With  this  they  feed  their  young  ones. — Now 
when  you  see  how  hard  and  how  well  they 
work,  you  should  learn  to  work  hard  and 
well  like  them. — But  this  is  not  all  you  may 
learn  from  them. 

What  else  do  you  mean  ? 

They  store  up  food  for  the  cold  time  when 
there  will  be  no  flowers  for  them  to  go  to  for 
fresh  honey. — You  should  in  the  same  way 


68  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

think  of  the  time  to  come.  You  should  learn 
to  read  and  write,  and  to  do  all  the  good  you 
can,  now  you  are  young. — A  time  will  come 
when  you  will  have  no  one  to  teach  you,  and 
no  time  to  learn. 


XXIY. 

GOD  MADE   YOU. 

Book.     Sounds.     Think.    Arms.     Walk. 

God  made  you,  and  gave  you  all  you 
have. 

He  gave  you  eyes  to  see  with,  so  that  you 
can  look  at  the  sun,  and  the  earth,  and  the 
beasts  that  live  on  it,  and  the  birds  that  fly 
in  the  air.  And  you  can  see  boys,  and  gills, 
and  men.  And  you  can  read  what  is  in  this 
book. — If  you  had  no  eyes  you  would  be 
blind,  and  would  not  see  one  of  these  things 


FIRST    READING    BOOK. 


69 


by  night  or  by  day.     When  the  sun  shines, 

it  would  be  the  same  to  you  as  when  it  is 

aight. 

God  gave  you  ears  to  hear  with,  so  that 
ou  can  hear  what  we  say  to  you. — And  you 
an  hear  sweet  sounds  when  the  birds  sing 
i  the  woods  and  fields,  and  when  God's 

t  'aise  is  sung  in  church. — If  you  had  no 


70  FIRST    READING   BOOK. 

ears  you  would  not  hear  words  nor  sweet 
sounds,  but  you  would  be  deaf  like  a  stone. 

God  gave  you  a  mouth  to  speak  with,  so 
that  you  can  talk  to  boys  and  girls,  and  ask 
for  what  you  would  like.  And  you  can  sav 
what  you  think  and  feel. — If  you  had  no 
mouth  you  could  not  speak,  but  you  would 
be  dumb  like  a  fish. 

God  gave  you  arms  and  hands  to  work 
with,  and  legs  to  walk,  and  run,  and  jump 
with. — If  you  had  no  arms  you  could  do  no 
work.  And  if  you  had  no  legs  you  would 
not  be  able  to  move,  but  you  must  stop  in 
one  place  like  a  log. 

God  gave  you  a  head,  so  that  you  can 
learn  what  we  teach  you,  and  know  what  it 
is  that  you  hear  and  see. 


FIRST   READING   BOOK. 

•v 

XXV. 
GOD    SEES  YOU. 
I       Dark.     Heart.     Which.     Looks. 

V  .'     .  ■ 

God  is  a  spirit.  He  is  not  like  a  man. 
You  can  not  see  God.  But  He  can  see  you* 
at  all  times. — He  can  see  you  as  well  in  the 
night  when  it  is  dark,  as  He  can  in  the  day 
when  it  is  light. — He  can  see  your  heart, 
which  no  man  can  see.  He  sees  all  you  do^ 
He  hears  all  you  say.  He  knows  all  you 
think,  and  all  you  feel. — He  is  in  all  places. 
» You  can  not  go  out  of  His  sight. 

God  knows  when  you  are  a  bad  boy. 
He  looks  on  you  when  you  will  not  do  as 
you  are  bid.  He  hears  you,  if  you  say  what 
is  not  true.  His  eye  is  on  you  when  you  do 
a  bad  act. 

God  will  not  let  you  be  happy  when  you 


72  FIRST    READING    BOOK. 

will  not  try  to  be  good.  And  it  is  He  who 
helps  you  when  you  wish  to  be  good. 

If  you  pray  to  God,  He  will  send  His 
Holy  Spirit  to  tell  you  what  you  should  do, 
and  make  you  good. 

If  we  mind  God,  He  will  make  us  happy ; 
and  when  we  die,  He  will  raise  us  up  to  see 
Him,  and  live  for  ever  with  the  angels. 


• 


THE    END. 


1 


S*M 


1X!rrVjyr 


